Glyn Bush, aka BiggaBush and Lightning Head, in addition to being a solo artist, has a penchant for remix knob twiddling and DJing. If you’ve ever seen this guy play out live, you’ll know that, beyond the reggae and dub mixing he’s renowned for, he’s also into Afrobeat, jazz, funk, pop and the occasional oddity which gets the crowd into a party dancing frenzy.

Stereo Deluxe have caught on that every home should have a BiggaBush DJ set on CD; the release of Sound Sensation shows them continuing to raise their game following the BiggaBush remix 12” ‘This River’.

The CD is an eclectic mix of all our favourite genres. It starts with moody space-age dub poetry in Bigga’s ‘Dub An FX’. So ‘Popcorn’ springs us into life — a typical Lightning Head fresh take on reggae-pop. Great fun and a great seamless mix into the Afro funk of ‘Ageisheka’; anyone know the Ogyatanaa Showband?

‘Addis Ababa’ is very Mulatu Astatke (who is getting great support from Soundway), as it’s a beautiful instrumental with horns and organ a plenty. ‘Roll Call’ continues the big horn sound with Latin percussion, that glides into another track from the favelas by In Flagranti; ‘Hairy Fruit’ is one for the jazz dancers.

Off then to the Dancehall with ‘Little More Oil’, which features a strong brass sound (and was one of the tracks given away with copies of The Wire’s 250th issue in December 2004). DJ/Rupture’s track is a big favourite with Soul Jazz Records who’ve just released a 12” remix with Kid606, styling it “classic electronic dancehall 2006 style!”

Straight into Pressure Drop (contemporaries of Rockers HiFi) with a bass bin ripper of thickness wobble board and synth squelcher.

Who else would then think to drop, Peak’s ‘Get Carter’ (Afro Art) between the Latino pipes of ‘O Canto Da Ema’ and a BiggaBush re-edit of 80’s classic ‘Que Pasa / Me No Pop I’ by Coati Mundi (he of New York Latin-poppers Kid Creole & The Coconuts, appearing at London’s Jazz Café on 23/24 January)?

Up, Bustle & Out were big on Ninja Tune but now seem to have settled with Unique. Lightning Head’s take of ‘Zuzuku’s People’ is one of his best afro-dub creations and a big favourite at Hectic Villas.

Junkyard Productions’ ‘Sister Let Him Go’ is a big clap-along track and pecussively links into the broken beat Inverse Cinematics remix of Overtone. These tracks prime us for a gloriously Lightning Head dubbed-up ‘Midnight Marauders’ by Joe Dukie and DJ Fitchie (of all-conquering 2005 all-winners, Fat Freddy Drop). This is one of their most atmospherically powerful tracks, and deserves wider exposure.

Can’t say I ever liked ‘Caimanera’. Robert Wyatt did this version for a 7” on Rough Trade back in 1980 and as an old fan Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard and Rock Bottom, I’m prepared to sassy to this one as it’s been given a BiggaBush re-edit.

Sound Sensation avoids the obvious and showcases Glyn’s remixing talents. BiggaBush fans are bound to enjoy, as will anyone who loves global music culture. Party on.

Bigga Bush — Sound Sensation (Stereo Deluxe) CD SD136-2, DLP SD136-3 Released: January, 2006

Tracklisting:
1. Kode9 & Spaceape -‘Sine Of The Dub’ (2:37)
2. Bigga Bush — ‘Dub an FX’ (2:54)
3. Lightning Head — ‘Popcorn’ (4:07)
4. Ogyatanaa Showband — ‘Ageisheka’ (4:42)
5. Zafari — ‘Addis Ababa’ (3:38)
6. Pablo — ‘Roll Call’ (3:52)
7. In Flagranti — ‘Hairy Fruit’ (4:29)
8. DJ /Rupture — ‘Little More Oil’ (4:12) Vocals — Sister Nancy
9. Pressure Drop — ‘Knok Knok’ (Soundsystem Version) (2:58)
10. Carlos Malta e Pife Muderno — ‘O Canto Da Ema’ (2:33)
11. Peak — ‘Get Carter’ (3:54)
12. Coati Mundi — ‘Que Pasa / Me No Pop I’ (BiggaBush Re-edit) (4:34)
13. Up, Bustle & Out — ‘Zuzuku’s People’ (Lightning Head Version) (5:21)
14. Junkyard Productions — ‘Sister Let Him Go’ (Los Chicharrons Mix) (4:07)
15. Overtone — ‘Give It Again’ (Inverse Cinematics Remix) (4:29)
16. Joe Dukie and DJ Fitchie — ‘Midnight Marauders’ (Lightning Head Version) (6:31)
17. Robert Wyatt — ‘Caimanera’ (BiggaBush Re-edit) (5:44)
18. Juca Chaves — ‘Take Me Back To Piaui’ (Dubben Mix) (4:12)

Links:
BiggaBush www.biggabush.co.uk
“This mix reflects my wide taste in music and my ever-expanding (free)style of DJing. You will hear the sort of tunes that makes me want to make music and the type of tunes that make me want to dance. For me DJing is the meeting point of these two desires.” (BiggaBush, Dorset/UK, Sept. 2005)
Stereo Deluxe www.stereodeluxe.com
Soul Jazz www.souljazzrecords.co.uk
Pacific Island Travel — Piaui
BiggaBush Current Top 10: Dec 2005
01 Life Boogie — Bobby’s Job (PR)
02 Richie Havens — Going Back to My Roots (Mr K re-edit) (Elektra)
03 Paul St. Hilaire — Office (False Tuned)
04 Sound Directions — The Horse (Stones Throw)
05 Lightning Head — 2001 Afrostylo (CDR)
06 Peter Rap — Punta
07 Dennis DJ — Tire A Camisar (Essay)
08 Rao Kyao — Zau (Kaspar’s Lusophonetic Groovement Refunk)
09 Jimi Tenor — Reich Reggae (Deutsche Grammophon)
10 Jean Grae — Keep Livin — (Rapster)